Dunston UTS (H) – Match Preview

One final game of 2025 as we host Dunston at the Hollou, and there's nowhere I'd rather be

Our final match of 2025 sees us host Dunston, in a fixture that both of us will deem imperative to boosting promotion chances.

With our lead at the top of the table shrinking, and Dunston also being just 3 points behind 2nd, there is no denying that both of us need to win on Friday.

More postponements meant we have only played 5 matches since the start of November, though with 19 goals in those 5 games we haven’t seen our form drop off.

122 league goals scored in 12 months is an insanely good feat for any side, but when 75 of those goals came this season then…well I mean, that is just incredible.

The nearest side to our goal scoring tally is Matlock, who are sat on just 50 goals scored.

Weirdly enough, after us and Matlock, the next two highest scoring sides in our league are Garforth and Consett, on 41 and 40 goals respectively.

On a sad note, Adam Boyes has lost his place as the leader of Step 4’s top scorer race, with Barton Rovers’ Albie Hall now 2 goals ahead of Bosh.

Other than that, though, there haven’t been many other changes for us since the preview for the Heaton match.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. If anyone says their favourite season is winter, they’re lying.

As for our opponents, Dunston have had a solid season, with The Fed currently sat 4th in the league

A number of postponements earlier on in the season meant that their September and October was insanely hectic

They came out the other side of that span, though, with 9 wins from 15 games, a tally that had a massive hand in their rise up the league.

Unbeaten in the league since the 8th of November, where they lost 3-0 to Garforth Town, Dunston have notched up 15 goals in their last 6 league games, including scoring three against Blyth Town, Bishop Auckland, Silsden, and most impressively, Emley!

Their top scorer, Jonathan O’Donnell is 8th in the league’s top scorer table, though that does in fact put him below Adam Boyes, Oscar Fletcher, Bradley Fewster, Louis Johnson, and Curtis Round.

They have had some success away from the league as well this season, reaching their furthest ever point in the FA Trophy, where they got to the second round before being beaten by NLN leaders South Shields.

Gainsborough Trinity, who sit in the league above us, were the ones to halt Dunston’s FA Cup run as well, and Stockton Town were the side to stop them in the Durham Challenge Cup

No other competitions left for Dunston to win though may be a positive, as now they can fully focus on this campaign, and whilst the title may be too big an ask, the play-offs are not

Though, Dunston’s runs in the play-offs have always been frustrating, with the Fed suffering back to back final defeats, losing to Stockton in 2023-24, and then to Stocksbridge Park Steels last season

Dunston are a very consistent side though, having not finished below 6th since their first full season at this level, since being promoted in 2019, so clearly, they must be doing something right.

Anyway, that’s about it for this preview. I hope you have a very merry Christmas, and I will hopefully see you on Friday!

If you’re unable to make the match then live updates, as always, will be on X.

Take care, and up the Steelmen!